Becoming a Sailor

Becoming a Sailor

More Than a Decade Afloat • Raising Sailors • Stories from SV Aphrodite

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  • Our story in six chapters, in the order we sailed it.

    See our entire route →

    Before We Moved Aboard

    • From House to Sailboat: How a Road Trip Changed Us
    • Buying Our St Francis 50 Catamaran
    • Learning to Sail From Scratch
    • Our Family Camping Gap Month
    • Browse all 113 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Florida and the Bahamas

    • Living on a Sailboat With Kids: Freedom or Confinement?
    • Crossing the Gulf Stream
    • Off the Beaten Track Bahamas
    • Bahamas Long Reads: Exumas Stories
    • Browse all 43 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    The Caribbean

    • Luperón Long Reads: Boat Kids Go Local
    • Dominica Travel: If Outside Magazine Visited
    • Rough Offshore Sailing in a Gale
    • Long Reads Grenada: 6 Stories From Our Sailboat
    • Browse all 66 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Panama and the Pacific

    • Crossing the Panama Canal
    • Shellback Ceremony at the Equator
    • Long Reads: Galápagos
    • Sleep Deprivation at Sea
    • Browse all 11 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Melanesia

    • Heavy Weather Sailing: NZ to Fiji
    • Sevusevu Ceremony in Fiji
    • Land Diving on Pentecost Island
    • Shallow Water Blackout
    • Browse all 19 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Micronesia to Southeast Asia

    • Lagoon to Table: Subsistence Fishing
    • Losing an Anchor in Thailand
    • 322 Days in a Malaysian Boatyard
    • Bangla Road Phuket
    • Browse all 26 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    By Topic

    • Learning to Sail
    • Downsizing & Moving Aboard
    • Sailing With Kids & Homeschooling
    • Boat Projects & Gear
    • Health & Safety at Sea
    • Food & Provisioning
    • Family, Crew & Guests
    • Writing & Creative
    • Browse all 291 posts →
  • About the CrewMeet our family of six from OttawaSt Francis 50 Catamaran Specs: SV Aphrodite, a Bluewater CatSV Aphrodite, our St Francis 50 catamaran
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Category: About the Crew

About the Crew introduces our family of six — together and as individuals — who make life aboard SV Aphrodite possible and bring their own spirit to the communities we visit.

Rick Escher presenting his submission video on the MedSailingAdvisor application that he wrote as part of the MedGemma Impact Challenge 2026.
February 23, 2026August 11, 2026Lorraine Escher

MedGemma Impact Challenge: Offline Triage App for Sailors

Family Living on a catamaran: Aphrodite, a St Francis 50 features in Multihull Sailor Magazine.
September 19, 2017September 26, 2026Lorraine Escher

Family Living on a Catamaran: Multihull Sailor Magazine, September 2017

June 28, 2016July 17, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing with Kids: Our First Year Cruising as a Family of Six

Picture taken today from the top of our 60+ foot mast
October 11, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Technical Writer Turned Cruiser: Our First Weeks Aboard

Betty, age 9
March 18, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Meet Betty, Age 9: Skating, Forts, Books and Ice Cream

Sailing around the World With Kids | Hello World | The Journey Starts HEre with this first blog post.
December 30, 2014August 2, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Around the World with Kids: Where Our Dream Began

Word of the Hour

A Lot A Knot New word in …

A Lot A Knot

On This Day

  • 9 years ago todayTrinidad Oil Spill: Our Boat in Chaguaramas Harbour

Worth Reading

Managing Food Allergies at Sea
Checklist for the Big Move

From the Archives

  • Boat Projects
  • Homeschooling Four Kids
  • Early Years of Cruising
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